About INTERACT & the training programme

 

Our VISION is to cultivate agile and responsible researchers capable of working seamlessly across STEM disciplines, with implications for transforming health solutions. The INTERACT fellows will work on unique 'convergence science' projects, bridging from biology/biomedicine to physics, chemistry, or engineering, with potential application for cancer or neurological diseases. With an aging population, the European cancer incidence is rising with 2.7 M new cancer cases in 2023 and neurological diseases rank third in terms of death and disease burden. The seven participating departments are internationally recognized and hot spots for research relevant for cancer and neurobiological diseases, from studies of biological disease mechanisms, medical chemistry and biosensing, to technical solutions for diagnosis and treatment. The participating departments will provide access to excellent research environments, technologies and infrastructure.

The three programme GOALS are central to pursue the vision:

  • pilot a model for interdisciplinary STEM research training in Denmark
  • to discover methodologies and approaches supporting interdisciplinary STEM research
  • to nurture fellows’ research, entrepreneurial and transversal skills important for their future intersectoral career options.

 With INTERACT we will address an unmet need for closer ties between the STEM disciplines.

 

 

INTERACT addresses an unmet need for formalized interdisciplinary STEM research training, breaking down silos and equipping fellows with both disciplinary-specific expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge with potential for solving complex challenges in health.

We will

  • Nurture fellow’s development of interdisciplinary research skills and an entrepreneurial mindset
  • Support fellows to become responsible researchers (research conduct, ethics, open science, diversity)
  • Provide timely interdisciplinary supervision and mentoring opportunities
  • Provide international and intersectoral exposure and networking
  • Support transversal skill development and strategic, individual career planning

Fellows will be formally enrolled at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, or Technical University of Denmark, to obtain a PhD degree following fulfilment of the fellowship. Fellows need to take courses of 30 ECTS in their fellowship period (scientific and transferable skills courses).

INTERACT training programme content

Knowledge & Intelluctual Abilities Personal Effectiveness
  • Research project
  • Secondment
  • Scientific/technological courses
  • Symposiums, seminars & conferences
  • Entrepreneurship training
  • Personal empowerment
  • Career events
  • Peer mentoring
Engagement, Influence & Impact Research Governance & Organisation
  • Training Schools
  • Exploitation of research
  • Peer mentoring
  • Career mentoring
  • Network Symposia
  • Research ethics & gender
  • Open science
  • Responsible conduct of research
  • Training schools
  • IP rights
  • Peer mentoring